Let summer bloom in every room with beautiful vases

So many cut flowers are at their best right now with bold blooms and abundant greenery. Don’t just plonk them in the closest nearby container – use beautiful vases to create dynamic displays that bring out the best of your flora.

Keep the look sculptural by using large stems to create interesting shapes, perhaps. Or group smaller bud vases into linear arrangements of different heights, texture and colour. Small groups can look striking along a shelf, mantelpiece, or down the centre of a table, but don’t stop there – try stepping them up one side of the stairs, arranged along a window sill or grouped into a generous cluster in a quiet corner on the floor.

‘Our favourite greenery at this time of year is beech, rhododendron, willow, hornbeam, birch and cotonteaster,’ say the team at Worm in East London. ‘Green foliage often lasts longer in a vase than cut flowers, but do remove any lower leaves so only clean stems are in the water – leaves encourage bacteria to form.’

Greenery can be especially effective in a bathroom, bringing life to what is often a pared-back, even sterile environment. Think big and bold and choose foliage with a fresh scent. ‘Eucalyptus and pine in the bathroom can be relaxing as the shower’s heat entices the oils to release their scent,’ says the Worm team. Use a similar approach in the kitchen where woody-stemmed herbs such as lavender and rosemary can make unusual displays with a culinary edge – especially if cut fresh from the garden or a herb pot on a balcony. 

Do your flowers justice with a collection of vases that will suit all occasions. Consider a range of heights to allow for tall stems such as roses, lilies and large-scale foliage. At the opposite end of the scale, bud vases for mini arrangements can be useful for popping cute little displays into unobtrusive spots such as a bedside table, while a fluted-edged vase or one with a waist will give more delicate blooms like freesias a little extra support.

Most importantly invest in vases you love. A considered collection pulled together by shape, colour or finish will look good filled or empty all year round.